The focus of the march is to hold state Republican lawmakers accountable for failing to fully invest in public education, as shown by the absence of a state budget and...
Read MoreThe focus of the march is to hold state Republican lawmakers accountable for failing to fully invest in public education, as shown by the absence of a state budget and...
Read More
Duke Energy is continuing its push for higher electricity rates in North Carolina, with a new request filed last week to increase customer bills in order to cover rising fuel and power costs.

When we are counting pennies, fearing layoffs or looking for work, watching crops die, or bills pile up, we often retreat and retrench, close others out. But to stare this down, to build the change we need, there’s no way we can do this but together.

Financial disclosures show that Whatley has earned over $219,660 from investments tied to oil and gas companies, including ConocoPhillips, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Devon Energy, and Shell. His total holdings in the sector are valued at up to $1.39 million.

The focus of the march is to hold state Republican lawmakers accountable for failing to fully invest in public education, as shown by the absence of a state budget and the dismissal of Leandro by the state’s highest court.

“Generating power at giant plants far away and transmitting it across long lines is inefficient and extremely vulnerable,” economic and community development specialist Ian Baillie said. “If we generate power inside communities and keep the distribution inside those communities, outages affect smaller areas and are easier to fix.”

La Corte Suprema de Carolina del Norte es el tribunal más alto del estado y es la última instancia en temas de ley estatal, lo que significa que sus decisiones no pueden apelarse dentro del sistema judicial estatal. En un momento clave para muchas comunidades, entender cómo funciona es fundamental, ya que sus fallos pueden tener un impacto directo en la vida cotidiana. A diferencia de otros tribunales, la Corte Suprema no cuenta con jurado y se enfoca en escuchar argumentos orales de casos apelados desde tribunales inferiores.

Whatley’s lobbyist background is drawing increased scrutiny as energy costs rise across the state. Advocates argue that decisions made in Washington and in the state legislature have consistently favored corporate utilities over consumers, leaving North Carolinians to shoulder the burden.

Many North Carolinians are advocating against the harmful rate hikes by attending public hearings hosted by the Utilities Commission. The next in-person Utilities Commission public hearing will be in Morganton on April 28th.

“Rural communities are the backbone of North Carolina, and it’s important that we hear directly from people across our state… These listening sessions help us focus our efforts and make smart investments in economic opportunity, infrastructure, education, and health care.”

Compared to 2025, Medicaid enrollment in North Carolina has gone down 22%, with 761,457 people enrolled this year. According to NC Health News, more than 200,000 North Carolinians lost their affordable coverage since the sunset of enhanced premium subsidies.

As North Carolina heads toward a competitive 2026 election cycle, the outcome of this policy shift may have far-reaching consequences.

More than 33,000 North Carolina and South Carolina residents have signed the petition asking for an independent review of the system to determine any overcharges on bills and call for the company to issue refunds, if that is the case.

Another month into 2026 means another month without a state budget for North Carolinians as state lawmakers show no sign of progress in negotiations. North Carolina Governor Josh Stein warns that the lack of a budget puts North Carolina’s economic growth at risk.

Duke Energy Carolinas kept $21.70 of every $100 paid by North Carolinians in 2024 as pure profit. That’s higher than normal for energy companies and much higher than other industries.